Winter Watch: Road crews treat roads between waves of sleet, snow

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(KTVI) – Road crews are out treating roads in Missouri and Illinois after the first round of sleet and freezing rain Thursday morning.

That precipitation led to many crashes in Missouri and Illinois.

MoDOT officials say they have transitioned mostly to all salt now in treating the roads.

Earlier Thursday morning, and in the two days leading up to it, road crews had been using salt brine to pre-treat roadways. In the city alone, nearly 70,000 gallons of brine had been sprayed on road surfaces.

MoDOT officials say salt will be better than the brine in handling the weather that’s now coming in with colder temperatures.

Sleet and freezing rain started falling early Thursday morning before daybreak. It caused some major issues during the morning commute.

Law officers with the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Illinois State Police worked nearly 50 weather-related accidents between 6:00am and noon.

Fortunately, only one accident, along Highway 111 in the Metro East, had a serious injury.

Crews are trying to get as much treatment down on the roads as possible before the evening commute.

MoDOT says elevated surfaces like bridges and overpasses are among the areas they are most concerned about when it comes to icing.

Authorities in both states are asking drivers to be careful when heading out in this first winter storm of the season.